The 13th annual convention of District Grand Lodge No. 6, Independent Order B'nai B'rith, was opened at 112-14 Randolph St., at 10:30 o'clock on last Sunday. The States of Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan, and Minnesota, are embraced in the district.

The circumstance was referred to that the Chicago Lodges, in addition to the charitable work imposed by the regulations of the Order, had voluntarily burdened themselves to pay a yearly subscription of $1.00 per member to the United Hebrew Relief Association, the Association which is building the Michael Reese Hospital.

Second Day.

The report on the charter question approved of the action of the General Committee, which was adverse to granting a charter for the organization of a lodge in this city, to be composed of Russian Jews.

The minority report was signed by H.C. Mitchell, and differed, only, in being in favor of granting a charter in the case of the applicants who brought about the dispute, and a general spirit of toleration.

The resolution of Henry Greenebaum, introduced at a former meeting, providing for the issuing of a charter for the lodge referred to was then taken up and discussed at some length. G. Engel, of Milwaukee, was opposed to the resolution, taking the position that there were sufficient lodges already, and that if the petitioners for a charter were worthy of membership in the Order, they could join any of the existing lodges in the city. He did not believe that the objection to the petitioners was that they were Russian Jews, solely. For one, he did not know who they were, but from what he had heard they were not suitable persons to be intrusted with a charter.

A. Kraus was opposed to the resolution. It was education that the petitioners wanted, and he did not believe that the charter asked would prove a panacea for the evils now surrounding the Russian Jews of the city.

George Braham was in favor of the resolution and said that the petitioners had everything except the endowment benefit, which they were now seeking through a charter. The opposition to them came from their own countrymen, he was sorry to say, which made it the more shameful. They were poor, uneducated, and the lower order of the race, of course, but he wanted a charter given them, and for one, would take great pleasure in visiting and instructing them.

A.W. Rich, of Milwaukee, said he felt very much like voting on both sides of the question. He was in favor, however, of lifting up the petitioners, and the way they were doing it in his city was by establishing night schools. He did not believe in lodges as the best means of educating the down-trodden, or elevating the lowly, and he was in favor of preparing the petitioners for receiving a charter before one was granted them.

Charles Kozminski said - He had originally discouraged the petitioners in their application for a charter, and had tried to persuade them to join existing lodges, but in vain. Since they proved so persistent, however, he 4had presented their petition, and was now heartily in favor of the granting of the charter. He was not of those who attributed the action of the Committee (in refusing the charter) though prejudice, no doubt, had much to do in solidifying the opposition to the petitioners in the District.

Dr. Felsenthal was in favor of granting the charter asked, and of doing any and everything possible to elevate the petitioners. It would be next to impossible to distribute them as had been proposed; and he was in favor of taking hold of the unfortunates and educating them in their own jargon (Yiddish), if nothing better could be done. They could at least be elevated by contact with the better classes of Israelites, and he was in favor of it.

Third Day.

The Chicago members of the Order wish to place themselves on record on the question of granting a charter to the organization of Russian Jews. Twenty-three votes were cast by the Chicago men, twelve of which were for and eleven against granting the charter. The (total) vote by yeas and nays was as follows: Yeas - 22. Nays - 40.